1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a drive system comprising a drive shaft having two shaft sections connected by a diaphragm clutch having a diaphragm assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A drive system having two shaft sections connected by a diaphragm clutch is used to drive a drive shaft in a flexible manner. In one application of this type of drive, a driving engine acts directly on the first shaft section and the second shaft section is connected by a clutch to an additional drive. If the driving engine fails in a drive of this kind, the additional drive assumes the driving of the drive shaft, usually with a reduced power. When the additional drive assumes the task of driving, the diaphragm clutch has to be disengaged.
A preferred application of this type of drive is in a ship""s propulsion system in which the driving engine includes a two-stroke engine or a diesel engine that drives the propeller shaft. In a known ship""s propulsion system of this kind (see German reference DE-A 197 29 046), the diaphragm clutch contains a screwed joint comprising tapered screw bolts secured by nuts. The diaphragm clutch is decoupled by releasing this screwed joint. This decoupling process requires time-consuming manual work.
German Patent Application 198 47 771.6 describes a separating device for releasing a first screwed joint of the diaphragm clutch known from DE-A 197 29 046. This separating device comprises a guide flange that is axially displaceable on the propeller shaft and carries a second screwed joint. The second screwed joint bridges the first screwed joint connecting the diaphragm assembly of the diaphragm clutch. To decouple the diaphragm clutch, the second screwed joint of the separating device is released, and the guide flange is displaced on the propeller shaft. Although the diaphragm assembly remains firmly connected at all times when this separating device is used, this separating device still requires manual work and is therefore time consuming.
The object underlying the invention is to provide a drive having two shaft sections connected via a diaphragm clutch with a separating device for releasing the diaphragm clutch that remotely operable.
According to the present invention, the object is achieved by a drive system having a drive shaft with first and second shaft sections and a diaphragm clutch having a diaphragm assembly arranged for connecting said first and second shaft sections. A disk having an end face with a first toothing is connected to a radially outer end of the diaphragm assembly. A flange is connected to the first shaft section and has a second toothing for engaging the first toothing when the diaphragm assembly is subjected to an axial preload, wherein the first and second shaft sections are connected by the diaphragm clutch when the first and second toothings are engaged under the preload. A contact pressure device is controllable via a remote control when the drive shaft is in a stationary position for selectively acting on the diaphragm assembly to produce the axial preload.
In the drive according to the present invention, the connection of the diaphragm clutch is established by the toothings and the axial preload on the diaphragm assembly. This axial preload may be built up and released by a hydraulic contact-pressure device that is remotely operable.
The object is also met by a propulsion system for a ship having a propeller counter shaft and a thrust shaft and a diaphragm clutch in which the connection of the diaphragm clutch is established by a toothing under axial preload as described above.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.